Koh Yao Noi
Quiet Island Life in the Middle of Phang Nga Bay
A rural island in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, half an hour by boat from Phuket's Bang Rong pier and about an hour from Krabi: rubber groves, rice fields with water buffalo, Muslim fishing villages, and the limestone islands of the bay lined up on the horizon. The beaches are tidal (swim at high tide); the days go on kayaking the Hong islands' lagoons, rock climbing and cycling the island. Stays run from simple bungalows to a few very smart resorts. Most islanders are Muslim, so dress modestly in the villages.
Highlights
- Hong islands lagoon by kayak
- Phang Nga Bay karsts from the beach
- Cycling the island's villages and rice fields
- Rock climbing on limestone crags
- Pasai Beach at high tide
- Sunrise over the bay from the east coast
- Village homestay and fishing life
- Day trip to Koh Yao Yai
Things to do
- Long-tail and kayak day to the Hong islands lagoonsMorning · 7h
- Cycle the island's villages and rice fieldsMorning · 3h
- Guided rock-climbing sessionMorning · 3h 30m
- Pasai Beach at high tideAfternoon · 3h
- Sunset over the Phang Nga Bay karstsEvening · 1h 30m
- Southern Thai cooking classAfternoon · 3h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: November – April
Worth knowing
Andaman Monsoon: Rough Seas and Red Flags
The south-west monsoon brings rain most afternoons and rough seas from May to October, worst in September. Red flags (no swimming) are common on Phuket's west-coast beaches, where rip currents drown swimmers every year; speedboat trips are cancelled at short notice and the crossings are bumpy. Hotels are much cheaper than in the high season.
- Buddhist holy days (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha) · Visakha Bucha 31 May; Asahna Bucha and Buddhist Lent 29–30 Jul — Candle-lit processions round the temples at dusk, worth seeing in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya. Alcohol may not be sold anywhere, bars included, for 24-48 hours (hotels and airport duty free excepted); the Full Moon Party moves a night.
- Christmas and New Year peak — The most expensive fortnight of the year on the islands: resorts set 5-7 night minimums and compulsory gala-dinner charges on 24 and 31 December, and Phi Phi, Samui and Phuket ferries and flights fill a month ahead. Indian school holidays add to it. Book by October.